Rangers belt four home runs in loss to Royals

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers starter Lisalverto Bonilla gave up seven runs in the first inning, including a grand slam to Mike Moustakas, and the Royals went on to an 11-7 victory on Monday at Surprise Stadium.

Bonilla faced eight batters in the first and allowed seven to reach base on five hits, a walk and a hit batter. The home run by Moustakas was his second of the spring. Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer both had three-hit afternoons for the Royals.

Slugger's production key as he looks to regain power after neck surgery

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder appears to be having a blast in Spring Training beating out bunts, trying to stretch singles into doubles and taking extra bases on pitches in the dirt.

"He is having fun and it is rubbing off on other players," manager Jeff Banister said. "They feed off that when you see one of your leaders doing that. It affects the whole team."

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers pitcher Jon Edwards has been in an upbeat mood all of Spring Training, walking around with a smile on his face and pitching great on the mound.

It's hard to believe that Edwards developed testicular cancer in the offseason and needed surgery just before Christmas. But his perpetual smile may reflect that his post-surgery tests have been positive and his wife Katelyn is pregnant with the couple's first child.

Rangers honor McDonald's son in tree ceremony

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers organization gathered together between two of their back fields at Surprise Stadium on Monday morning and planted a tree.

The tree is in memory of Dane McDonald, the son of Minor League coach Donzell McDonald who passed away last year at the age of 3. McDonald, his wife Kamaria and their two children were at the ceremony surrounded by almost every Major League and Minor League player, coach, manager, trainer and front office personnel.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers aren't sure if they'll have their top two setup relievers ready for Opening Day. That could be the final development that puts rookie reliever Keone Kela on the Opening Day roster.

Tanner Scheppers and Shawn Tolleson don't appear to be dealing with serious injuries. But if there is any doubt, the Rangers will err on the side of caution.

Holland using abbreviated '14 season as fuel

Though dominant in September, Rangers lefty motivated to turn the page

Email

Print

Clean Start: Derek Holland 1:15

Derek Holland talks about looking forward to a clean start with the Rangers this season

By John Schlegel
/
MLB.com |

Left-hander Derek Holland finished the 2014 season with a flourish, dominating in six September outings after working his way back from a left knee injury. With that taste of health and success to chew on over a long offseason, Holland enters 2015 as eagerly as anyone in Rangers camp.

Fortunate enough to have been on World Series teams with the Rangers twice by the time he was 25, Holland is now a veteran presence on a Texas team that, like Holland himself, is looking to leave some health issues behind to make 2015 a better year than the one before.

The runs came against Rangers starting pitcher Nick Tepesch, who is fighting to make the club, and in support of Brandon McCarthy, who overcame a three-run top of the third that included an RBI double from former Dodger Adrian Beltre, who also doubled in the fifth inning.

The Rangers' top prospects earned a 5-1 victory over the Cubs' youngsters, on the strength of shutout innings from eight of their nine hurlers. Meanwhile, it was C.J. Edwards -- Chicago's haul in the Matt Garza deal two years ago -- who stole the show against his former organization.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Nick Martinez has won the fifth spot in the Rangers' rotation, manager Jeff Banister said on Sunday morning.

He joins a rotation that already includes Yovani Gallardo, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis and Ross Detwiler. Gallardo will take the mound on Opening Day (April 6) against the Athletics, and Banister confirmed Holland will pitch the home opener on April 10 against the Astros.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A year ago, few people had heard of outfielder Jake Smolinski. Having signed with the Rangers as a Minor League free agent, he was toiling in relative anonymity on that side of the complex and getting ready to play in Double-A for the fourth straight year.

A career .258 batting average with a .401 slugging percentage explained why, as did the fact that he had never hit more than nine home runs or driven in more than 51 runs in a season.

Seahawks star crushes home run to left-center field during BP

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went deep again on Saturday. This time he wasn't throwing a bomb to Doug Baldwin, but taking Rangers third-base coach Tony Beasley over the left-field fence in batting practice.

"I lasered one out in left-center field," Wilson said during what has become an annual visit to Rangers camp in Spring Training. "That was good. I stayed back and was able to drive it to left-center. It feels good hitting a home run. There's something special about throwing a touchdown, because it's so hard to get touchdowns, but getting a home run is a good feeling too."

Ranaudo held the Athletics to two runs in six innings on Friday, but he was held back early in camp by some elbow issues and never really caught up in the race to be the fifth starter. Ranaudo was acquired from the Red Sox for reliever Robbie Ross Jr. in the offseason and will join prospect Alex Gonzalez in the Round Rock rotation.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- In what began as a pretty good pitching duel between the Texas bullpen and San Diego starter Tyson Ross ended up with the Padres holding on for a 3-2 victory over the Rangers on Saturday afternoon.

Ross went six innings and allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out 12. His career-high in the regular season is 11 and the most in a Spring Training game since Alex Cobb of the Rays on March 22, 2014. Ross, lined up to be the No. 2 starter in the Padres rotation, has a 2.89 ERA this spring and opponents are hitting .203 off him.

Carlos Peguero is still in camp on a Minor League contract and has had an impressive spring. But the Rangers are likely to have him start the season in Triple-A and continue the progress he has made in his new approach at the plate.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers pitcher Ross Ohlendorf has had an impressive Spring Training, but his chances of being on the Opening Day roster have been scuttled because of a mild strain of his right groin muscle.

Ohlendorf, who has pitched just three games and five innings this spring, has been shut down from throwing until his leg is symptom free. He has twice had to leave a game when the groin started bothering him.

QB Wilson hits Rangers camp for second time

Russell Wilson traded his Seattle Seahawks uniform for a Texas Rangers one on Saturday, as the two-time Super Bowl quarterback joined the club in Surprise, Ariz.

Wilson, whose Seahawks lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, made his second Spring Training visit with the Rangers. He participated in the team's morning workout, but won't play in the 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Padres.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers still have outfield decisions to make and Nate Schierholz may be next on the list. The Rangers have until Saturday to put Schierholz on the Opening Day roster, or allow him the option of taking his free agency.

Schierholz is a left-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions. That's a good thing to have, especially if both right-handed hitting Ryan Rua and Jake Smolinski make the team.

Martinez's arm, Martin's power carry Rangers

3/26/15: Leonys Martin hits a two-run homer to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead

By Thomas Harding and T.R. Sullivan
/
MLB.com |

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Leonys Martin hit a two-run home run in the third, Nick Martinez pitched six scoreless innings and the Rangers defeated the Rockies, 6-3, on Thursday night.

Rockies starter Chad Bettis allowed two runs in four innings. He only allowed three hits, but he hung a 1-2 curveball to Martin, who hit it out to right-center for his second home run of the spring. Reliever Rex Brothers, who entered with a 1.50 ERA in five games, struggled, allowing four runs in the eighth inning, on a pair of singles, a double and a wild pitch.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers manager Jeff Banister has officially named Yovani Gallardo the starter for the club's season opener at Oakland on April 6 and told Ross Detwiler that he has made the rotation.

Gallardo, a longtime resident of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas, will be making his first start for the Rangers after being acquired from the Brewers in the offseason.

Rangers keeping a close eye on Fujikawa

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Kyuji Fujikawa is scheduled to pitch in relief on Friday against the Athletics. The Rangers are watching him closely to see if he is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery or if he'll need more time in the Minors.

Fujikawa, a former dominating closer in Japan who underwent the procedure on June 13, 2013, has not allowed a run in four Cactus League games, but he hasn't looked as sharp in two camp games, allowing two runs in three innings.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Using a four-run bottom of the second inning while sending nine men to the plate, the Reds claimed a 5-0 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday at Goodyear Ballpark.

Appeared headed into the Cincinnati rotation, Anthony DeSclafani had his best outing in his fifth start of spring. DeSclafani pitched six scoreless innings with four hits, three walks and nine strikeouts.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Adam Rosales had a two-run double and Thomas Field had a three-run home run in a 10-run seventh inning that lifted the Rangers to a 15-8 win over the Angels on Tuesday afternoon at Surprise Stadium. Ed Lucas had a single and a double in the inning as well.

Rangers starter Nick Tepesch -- who is adding a slow curve to his arsenal -- went five innings and allowed three runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out one while throwing 67 pitches. Reigning American League MVP Mike Trout had a triple off him that led to two runs in the first and Albert Pujols had a long solo home run in the fourth.